Brian Niccol, CEO of Chipotle, in front of Chipotle sign
Chipotle's Brian Niccol is the new CEO of Starbucks.
  • Chipotle boss Brian Niccol will take over as CEO of Starbucks next month.
  • He laid out his leadership style and approach to turning around companies on a podcast this year.
  • Niccol follows trends, welcomes new ideas and feedback, prizes focus — and demands excellence.

Brian Niccol's decision to leave Chipotle and become CEO of Starbucks has sparked speculation about the changes he might make at the embattled coffee chain.